Britain must regain control of Asylum Laws…

The UK must escape from the tangle of international Conventions and
return decision-making to Westminster if the current crisis in the
asylum system is ever to be resolved.

That is the view of think-tank, MigrationwatchUK, which has proposed
that Britain cut loose from the international straitjacket and pass
her own laws adapted to her own circumstances.

'The fact is that international Conventions - some now incorporated
into British law by this Government - has bound us so tightly that
we no longer have freedom to act in the best interests of either
the British people or of those genuinely fleeing persecution,' said
Migrationwatch chairman, Sir Andrew Green. 'This is now widely recognised
by the public and is a major cause of rising resentment.

'It is time that the Government faced up to the reality of the
situation and freed us from laws, some drawn up for different times
and circumstances, and introduced laws that are right for today.
Tinkering with the system and constantly announcing trivial 'initiatives'
is no longer good enough,' he said...

Sir Andrew said that the principal legislation - the 1951 Geneva
Convention and the European Convention of Human Rights, now incorporated
in the Human Rights Act 1998 - interlocked with each other both
to introduce delays and to prevent the detention of asylum seekers
while their case is decided. This, in turn, makes it much more difficult
to remove those whose claims fail.

'As our recent MORI Poll (see report) showed
there is a great deal of concern right across the UK with 80% saying
the asylum rules should be much tougher,' said Sir Andrew. 'We need
a swift, fair and equitable system that balances the interests of
UK citizens with those genuinely fleeing persecution and an end
to the many cases that mock our hospitality and bring the law into
disrepute. The key is an effective removal system which can only
be achieved under a new legal framework.
The government should now summon up the political courage to take
radical and effective action. The public certainly wish to see this.'

In summary Migrationwatch advocates

Denunciation of the 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugees

Temporary withdrawal from the European Convention of Human Rights
and

The construction of a new national framework of laws that would
enable the government to disqualify certain categories from asylum
such as those who damage the Channel Tunnel etc

The abolition of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal so as to reduce
the number of possible appeals open to asylum seekers from four
to three.

The granting of asylum to be a temporary concession

Oblige dependants to show they were also at risk

'If these actions were taken it should permit most cases to be
decided within a month and thus make it feasible for applicants
to be detained while their cases were heard,' said Sir Andrew.

'We do not underestimate the major difficulties involved but they
are certainly not insuperable and must be set against the costs
to our society of continued large-scale immigration under the guise
of asylum seeking.

'This is arousing intense resentment among the indigenous population
and is very damaging to community relations. Allowing this to continue
without effective action is not a prudent option,' he said.